Business Instrument

Archive for April, 2011

Pmp Project Management

Quality Management Facts The cost of quality is the money spent investing in training; in meeting requirements for safety and other laws and regulations; and in taking steps to ensure quality acceptance. The cost of nonconformance is the cost associated with rework downtime lost sales and waste of materials. Some common quality management charts and methods include the following: Ishikawa diagrams are also called fishbone diagrams are used to find causeandeffects that contribute to a problem. Flow charts show the relationship between components and the flow of a process through a system. Pareto diagrams identify project problems and their frequencies. These are based on the 80/20 Rule: 80 percent of project problems stem from 20 percent of the work. Control charts plot out the result of samplings to determine if projects are ‘in control’ or ‘out of control.’

Kaizen technologies comprise approaches to make small improvements in an effort to reduce costs and achieve consistency. Justintime ordering reduces the cost of inventory but requires additional quality because materials would not be readily available if mistakes occur. Human Resource Facts There are several human resource theories the PMP candidate should be familiar with on the PMP Exam. They are the following: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs There are five layers of needs for all humans: physiological safety social needs such as love and friendship selfesteem and the crowning jewel selfactualization. Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation There are two catalysts for workers: hygiene agents and motivating agents. Hygiene agents These do nothing to motivate but their absence demotivates workers. Hygiene agents are the expectations all workers have: job security a paycheck clean and safe working conditions a sense of belonging civil working relationships and other basic attributes associated with employment.

Motivating agents These are the elements that motivate people to excel. They include responsibility appreciation of work recognition opportunity to excel education and other opportunities associated with work other than just financial rewards. McGregory’s Theory of X and Y This theory states ‘X’ people are lazy don’t want to work and need to be micromanaged. ‘Y’ people are selfled motivated and can accomplish things on their own. Ouchi’s Theory Z This theory holds that the workers are motivated by a sense of commitment opportunity and advancement. Workers will work if they are challenged and motivated. Think participative management. Expectancy Theory People will behave based on what they expect as a result of their behavior. In other words people will work in relation to the expected reward of the work.

Communication Facts Communicating is the most important skill for the project manager. With that in mind here are some key facts on communications: Communication channels formula: NN1/2. N represents the number of stakeholders. For example if you have 10 stakeholders the formula would read 10101/2 for 45 communication channels. Pay special attention to questions wanting to know how many additional communication channels you have based on added stakeholders. For example if you have 25 stakeholders on your project and have recently added 5 team members how many additional communication channels do you now have? You’ll have to calculate the original number of communication channels 25251/2=300; then calculate the new number with the added team members 30301/2=435; and finally subtract the difference between the two: 435300=135 the number of additional communication channels. 55 percent of communication is nonverbal. Effective listening is the ability to watch the speaker’s body language interpret paralingual clues and decipher facial expressions. Following the message effective listening has the listener asking questions to achieve clarity and offering feedback. Active listening requires receivers of the message to offer clues such as nodding the head to indicate they are listening. It also requires receivers to repeat the message ask questions and continue the discussion if clarification is needed.

Communication can be hindered by trendy phrases jargon and extremely pessimistic comments. In addition other communication barriers include noise hostility cultural differences and technical interruptions. Risk Management Facts Risks are unplanned events that can have positive or negative effects on the projects. Most risks are seen as threats to the project successbut not all risks are bad. For example there is a 20 percent probability that the project will realize a discount in shipping which will save the project 15000. If this risk happens the project will save money if the risk doesn’t happen the project will have to spend the 15000. Risks should be identified as early as possible in the planning process. A person’s willingness to accept risk is the Utility Function also called the Utility Theory. The Delphi Technique can be used to build consensus on project risks. The only output of the risk planning is the Risk Management Plan. There are two broad types of risks: Business risk The loss of time and finances where a downside and upside exist. Pure risk The loss of life injury and theft where only a downside exists.

About the writer:  http://www.pmsimulation.com

Pmp Exam

If project management is practiced using the methodology outlined in this book and the Project Management Institute’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge you will become a good project manager. Learning project management is more than studying a book or even a group
of books. Project management must also be learned in the field with experience and exposure to real responsibility on real projects. The Project Management Professional PMP certification is designed to certify project managers who meet the criteria for both knowledge and experience. To qualify for certification you must have both. PMI requires that you have at least 4500 hours of experience if you have a bachelor’s degree. Some of this experience must extend past more than the last three years but not more than past the last six years.

In addition as of the end of March 2002 there is a new requirement of 35 hours of project management education. This requirement is really not very difficult to fulfill since there is no time limit and the training can be provided by practically anyone. Forms for applying for the certification are fairly changeable and can be easily downloaded from the Project Management Institute’s Internet site at http://www.pmi.org/ certification.

PMI is constantly changing the examination. They are continually introducing new questions and replacing questions that have been around for some time. I do the best job I can to keep aware of the nature of the examination and pass this information on to you. My philosophy is that no one should be able to pass the PMP exam without having an extremely good working knowledge of the practice of project management.

About the writer:  http://www.pmsimulation.com

Pacific Timesheet Announces New Iphone Support

Las Vegas NV Pacific Timesheet the leading name in timesheet and time tracking systems announced it is first to market with iPhone support in its project timesheet software. The company’s customers can use now this feature to better track project and job time while on the road or working in the field. The features also allow for detailed project reporting directly from the iPhone.

Pacific Timesheet CEO Pat Conrad stated “A major challenge for our customers has been tracking and reporting projects on the go. Project timesheets for iPhone will now be a management tool ensuring project teams are not stretched too thin and project forecasts are on schedule.”

Pacific Timesheet iPhone edition allows employees to track project time comments and other attributes at any project level. A rules engine validates project timesheet hours upon submission ensuring that project overtime rules are followed and data entry is accurate. For any time period management can identify project phase or task overtime by employee or group. Bulk time entry allows field managers and construction foremen to enter team time quickly. These features add more depth to Pacific Timesheet’s existing timesheet features that track estimated hours percent completion rates and performance variances.

About Pacific Timesheet for the Web

Pacific Timesheet is J2EEcompliant timesheet and time tracking software for the web and supports virtually every operating system and database. Its ntier architecture allows its timesheet systems to scale to tens of thousands of users. Single signon integration is also available with LDAP OpenID Netegrity and Microsoft Active Directory. Pacific Timesheet’s timesheet solutions offer significant rapid Return on Investment allowing customers to save millions of dollars while improving their visibility into employee projects work and attendance.

About Pacific Timesheet

Pacific Timesheet is a leader in providing ondemand timesheet and time tracking software. Its flagship product Pacific Timesheet provides unprecedented easeofuse flexibility and reliability. Built on platform database and browserindependent technologies that can be implemented either onpremise or ondemand Pacific Timesheet provides an enterpriseready solution that is easy to use and implement for companies across the globe.

The Company is headquartered in Las Vegas Nevada and has offices throughout North America and Europe. Pacific Timesheet is an equal opportunity employer always in search of talented professionals interested in the development and application of proven software technologies. Pacific Timesheet’s Time Management Systems are used by some of the world’s largest corporations such as Applied Materials and NOAA. If you need additional information about Pacific Timesheet go to www.pacifictimesheet.com or call 8664162061 ext. 451

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Oleg Chetchel
Ventilation Equipment Designer
Tenderall Fan Co.
http://tenderall.com